Fence-stay



(No Model.)-

E. A. FRANTZ.

FENCE STAY.

Inventon I z! 6 i n, W M w N m d 2 w E n e m P Witnesses B 28 Bttowrzegs,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EZRA A. FRANTZ, OF MOUNT MORRIS, ILLINOIS.

FENCE-STAY.

SIBEGIFIOATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 571,355, dated November 17, 1896.

Application filed September 30, 1896. Serial No. 607,468. (No model.)

To all whom it may conceive.-

Be it known that I, EZRA A. FRANTZ, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mount Morris, in the county of Ogle and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Fence-Stay, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to wire fences, and particularly to stays for connecting the runners thereof and the object in view is to provide a simple and efficient construction of stay which may be applied with facility to the runners and which is adapted to prevent independent deflection thereof.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will appear in the following description, and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a fence constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a detail view in perspective of a portion of one of the stays detached, showing the connected ends of adjoining sections. Figs. 3 and 4 are detail views of a modified construction of stay, showing different stages in the application thereof to the runners.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings. 1 p

1 designates fence-runners connected by stays 2 constructed in accordance with my invention, each stay being provided at intervals corresponding with the spaces between the runners with loops 3, which engage the runners, the slack of the stay being taken up by a twist e at the outer side of each loop, or at the side opposite to the body or straight portion of the stay.

In the construction illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 the loops 3 are continuous, and therefore integrally connect the contiguous straight portions 2 forming the body of the stay, said loops being engaged by spreading them at their rear sides a sutlicient distance to receive the runner, and after the engagement of the loops with the runners looseness is taken up by twisting the front or outer sides of the loops, as shown at a", opposite to the straight or body portion of the stay.

In the construction illustrated in Figs; 1 and 2, on the other hand, the loops 3 are severed at their outer sides to form the extremities 5 and 6, whereby a sectional construction of stay is provided, each section consisting of a straight body portion provided with terminal half-loops and connected half-twists. These sections may be constructed, as described, before application to the runners, and successively engaged therewith by first engaging the half-twists and then bringing the straight or body portion of the section into its normal or operative position. This causes the opposite half-loops on the contiguous ends of adjoining sections to bear against opposite sides of the runner and thereby clamp the runner therebetween. V

The outer extremities of the terminal sections of the stay are secured to the border or top and bottom runners by coiling the same therearound.

The above connection between the sections or straight portions of a runner allows sufficient independent movement of such sections to avoid unnecessary straining of the stay and yet afford sufficient support to the run ners, this advantage being true of both forms of stay illustrated in the drawings.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim is- 1. The combination with runners, of a stay providedat intervals with forwardly-extending loops respectively engaging the runners and twisted at the front or outer sides there of to cause the upper and lower sides of the loops to clamp the runners, substantially as specified.

2. A sectional stay havingstraight portions connected by loops and interlocking halftwists, substantially as specified. V

A fence-staycomprising separate sections each having a straight body portion and terminal oppositelyfacing half-loops extended to form half-twists adapted to be interlocked with corresponding half-twists upon 

